Track system



f G. w. HEGEL TRACK SYSTEM Jan. 20, 1931.

OrigipaIFiled Feb. 19, 1929 2 Sheets-Shoot I Jan. 20, 1931.

G. w. HEGEL TRACK SYSTEM Original Filed Feb. 19, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F 3 a a 4 5 b 5" 7 I IFIIIHUIHIIIIIH Patented Jan. 29, 1931 7 Tee GEORGE W. EEGEL, or ALTADENA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB or ON -HALF v I). snxron, 01!? Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA T orrica FATE TO THOMAS TRACK SYSTEM Application filed February 19, 1929, Serial This invention relates to track systems, and more particularly to aterminal track and warehouse arrangement for a siding construction for railroad tracks or the like 5 and deals particularly with the distribution of cars ofa railroad train in a manner to permit the eiiicient handling of the merchandise contained in the cars in relation to a loading or unloading platform or warehouse or storage space.

' Heretofore in the loading or unloading of merchandise from railroad freight cars and like vehicles, it has been common practice to run the cars up to the platform in single file,

'15 stopping any particular car at the desired loading or unloadingplatform and holding the train or uncoupling such car at the desired point untilthe same was either loaded or unloaded.

This practice results in the necessity of considerable switching of the cars of the railroad train and disables the entire track upon which the car is stationarily positioned until that car is loaded or unloaded, as the case may be. In the handling of a large freight train, particularly attermi'nal points where there may be in the train a variety of cars requiring independent loading-and unloading at difierent warehouses 'or at different -iso platforms, it has been difficultto distribute the cars to the correct points without considerable switching of the cars back and forth or delaying the unloading of the entire train until a particular car or set of'cars was properly distributed and the merchandise '50 the cars andthe number of cars it is desired no. 341,201. Ream Novem er 10, 1930.

ing of freight or merchandise at terminal buildings and the construction and main tenance of the terminal buildings and their loading platforms in a. particular relation to the tracking system used in connection with said buildings so that a minimum of switch ing is required to position the cars in relation to the particular point or storage place desired and so that a plurality of; such cars may be accessible from a single loading platform. 7

Other objects and advantages ofthisfinvention it is believed willbe apparent from the following detailed description of a 'pre-. ferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view diagrammatic in character of thetrack and loading system embodied in this inventionillustrating one embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a similar top plan view of a tracking and loading system embodied in I this invention illustratlng a vsecond or mod ified embodiment ofthis invention. H

Figure 3 is a further diagrammatic plan houses is provided with a loading lat-form as indicated by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 'l i Each of the cars of the freight train is of a definite length and this length varies for a standard gauge line between the limits of 55 feet and 26 feet six inches. The width'ofsuch freight cars as now used varies between the limits of ten feet four inches and eight feet. The average length of the freight cars usually employed for the carrying of perishable merchandise is approximately 48.25 feet from center of coupling to center of coupling. The space provided between the center of the main line or trunk line 1 and thefro-nt of the produce warehouses is under ordinary circumstances fixed by the conditions of the particular structure and a permissible dis tance of the produce warehouses from the center of the track 1 in order that the space which must be utilized for such a produce terminal be as economically used as possible.

In order to conserve space, the distance from the front of the warehouses to the center of the track 1 should be redueedas much as possible, and this distance, when taken into consideration with the length of the cars which must be loaded and unloaded at the particular terminal, determines the exact application of the system embodying this invention and the number of the cars which may be placed in parallel relation beside any given loading forms. 7

In order to reduce the distance required between the center of the track 1 and the front of the produce warehouses and at the same time obtain a loading and unloading system which will permit a plurality of cars to be positioned in relation to the particular warehouses to be loaded or unloaded at a single time without requiring excessive switching of cars, Ihave found that if the loading platforms are formed in a saw-tooth arrangement and individual switches are brought off fromthe line 1 in a particular angular relation to the front face of the produce warehouses that, considerable space may be conserved and a multiplicity of cars placed in proper parallel relation to the respective loadingplatforms. r r

In order to obtain a definite understanding of thisinvention, itis believed necessary to give several illustrative examples, which are .set forth inFigures l and 2. In Figure 1 it is assumed that the freight cars are approximately 48.25 feet long and that the width of the cars is approximately lOfeet. It is desired to arrange the track so that three cars inay be placed in relationto any particular warehouse,2, 3A, 5, 6 or 7..

In order to bring three cars on separate sidings in a parallel relation so that the center doors of these cars will align to permit the freight to be carried from one car through the others to the loading platform in a manner to require'minimum of switching of the cars. To get them into such position it is essential that the loadingplatforms be formed of a certain saw tooth arrangement. The dimensions of such a sawsteoth loading platform will be determined definitely by three platform or series of plat-' factors, the first in consideration of which is the length of the particular car to be placed adjacentsuch loading platform. The second factor is the angle that the sidings upon which the respective freight cars are. positioned make with the longitudinal face of the storage building. The third factor, orthe dimension of the side of the saw-tooth opposite the angle thus fixed, is determined by the width of thecar plusthe permissible distance between the parallel cars. In certain localities, for example, it is established by regulation that the centers of such parallel tracks must not be closer than 13 feet- In other localities it is only required that the sidings be spaced apart sufiicient distance to permit the cars to clear each other while on said-sidings. The width of the car plus the distance between the cars which is permitted or allowed will determine the length of the side of the right triangle pposite the angle thus made the siding with the longitudinal face of the building, and the length of this side and the length of the side of the platform which extends parallel with the tracks definitely fixes the angle which the tracks make with the longitudinal face of the warehouse.

This is determined by the fact that this angle is a definite function of the length'of the two sides of this saw-tooth which is adjacent the right-angle formed by the sawtooth. The determining of these two sides of the angle positively fixes the length of the individual warehouses 2, 3, l, 5, 6 or 7, that is, the dimension 8 of such awarehouse. In theillustrated example given in Figure 1 the cars are assumed to be approximately 48.25 feet in length with a width of 10 feet. and a permissible distance between the sidings of 13 feet. These dimensions definitely-fix the angle that the sidings make withthe face of the storage building at approximately 15 4. The fixing of these. dimensions definitely fixes the dimension 8 at approximately feet from center of partition to center of partition.

When desiring to load or unload the cars to or from a particular loading platform,

the cars are placed in parallel relation so that three cars, for example, cars 13, 14 and 15, are placed in parallel relation in advance of the sawtooth platform adjacent the warehousev 6. The doors of the cars are thus in alignment and a runway is formed through the openings, or doors, 19 of said cars so that the cars may belo'aded or unloaded through the platform 6. The positioning of the runway' between the doors of the respective freight cars is illustrated at20;

In some cases it may be desirable to position island" platforms between the parallel tracks to facilitate the loading and unloading of the cars, and this may be accomplished as is illustrated at 21 ;in Figure 2. The

positioning of these island, platforms between the parallel extending sidings should 7 not in any way vary the application of'the systems embodying this invent-ion as itwill only tend to space the centering of the tracks further apart leaving the remainder of the distances constant. Under the same conditions, using loading platforms as illustrated at 21 in Figure 2, and employing the same dimensions of cars and car'widthsand car spacings with the added distance required for the positioning of the island platforms between the cars will not vary the angle which the sidings make with the longitudinal face of the warehouse. The use of these island platforms 21 will only be of advantage where it is desired to obtain access to a particular car placed on one of the sidings spaced from the loading platform.

As shown in Figure 2, with the angle that the siding makes at the face of the Ware- 7 house, which is composed of units 2 to 7 inclusive, increased to 22., it will be obvious that the length of the side 22 and the length of the side 23 must vary. The length of the side 22 is determined by the length of the car which must be positioned in parallel relation to the side of the saw-tooth formed warehouse, platform. 7

The side 23 thus determines the spacing of the centers of the sidings and the length of the car which may be used on such a track system, when the angle which the sidings make with the face of the warehouse is va ried. It will be obvious that if the side 23 is increased in length to any considerable degree beyond 13 feet that the entire tracking system will become impracticable unless island platforms are used between the sidings as the distances between the parallel placed cars would increase to such an extent 7 asto practically eliminate the use of this tracking system. The increasing of this distance 23 greatly increases the required distance between the main or branch track 1 and of the cars, that the side 23 will be found the face of the warehouses 2 to 7 inclusive.

Correspondingly, as illustrated in Figure 3, if the angles which the sidings make with the warehouse 2 to? inclusive is decreased to 11, and the length of the side 22 is maintained constant by the distance between the centers of the couplings at the opposed ends to be so short as to require the distance between the centers of the two sidings 11 and 12 to be so short that there will be insufiicient clearance between the cars running upon the sidings 11 and 12. Thus reducing the angle to 11 will not permit the position of the cars in parallel relation in front-of the produce warehouses 2 to 7 inclusive.

It will, therefore, be apparent that the adaptation of my tracking system is definitely determined by the length and width of the cars to be used and placed in parallel relation inadvance of any saw-tooth platform; that fill: nonase should the'an'gle that the sidings I make with the face .ofthe warehouse building tbezless than 10.,:and that the length of 'tl1e -:cars';to:be used automa-tically determines V, the :maximum'an'glethat can be employed when thedi'stance between the .center of the 7 tracks is. fixed. TItwill also be obvious that when tlie tracks are" brought in at an angle between the limits thus determined, that a plurality 'oflcarsmay be positioned in par-,

vallel relation'in' advance of any particular thezn-umber'of cars 'whi'chmaybe placed in 1 v 7 Yes such parallel relation. This is determined by the length of each particular siding which is definitely determined by the angle which the siding makes with theface of the warehouse and the distance between the center ofithe track 1 and the face'of thewarehouses.

:My invention is also particularly .appli- .cable'for use inunloading and loading automobiles from freight cars and'provides an ef- 'ffective' means of unloading such automobiles from the ends of the cars as is nowcommo-nly done by driving the. automobiles directly from the endof the :car onto-the saw-tooth platforms. 7 i

Between the cars platforms may be located so thatthe automobiles in any particular line or siding might be run through the extent of cars and onto the saw-tooth platforms from the end of the innermost of these cars adjacent the short side of such saw-tooth platform. V

' Havin fully described my invention, it is to be un erstood that I do not wish to be 7 limited to the details herein set forth, but my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims. 7 I

I claim:

a 3 1'." Thecombination or a maintrackline and v a plurality of storage warehouses having platforms, with a plurality of railway tracks constituting sidings extending in parallel relation from the main line toward the ware houses so that a continuation ofthesidings will make'an angle with the face of the warehouse in excess of 10 degrees, the front edge of each platform being approximately the length of each car in the train.

2. The combination. of a main track line; and a plurality of storagewarehouses' having platforms, with a plurality of railway tracks constituting sidings extending in parallel relation toward thewarehouses so that the continuation of the sidings will make an angle with the face of the warehouses of between 15 degrees and'16 degrees, the front edge of each platform being approximately the length of each car in the train.

3. In a tracking system, the combination of a main track, a loading platform parallel to the main track, a plurality of railway tracks 5 constituting sidings extending in parallel relation from the main track to the loading platform and making an angle with the loading platform determined by the length of the cars to be run on said sidingsfrom center of coupling to center of coupling of said cars, and saw-tooth platforms the front edges of Which are each approximately the same length as the length of each car in the train extending from the" first said platform to present sidesof SEIiCl'SLW-tOOtllBd platforms in parallel relation'to the ears run on said sidings. L

4. "In a railway tracking system, the combination of a main track, a loading platform parallel to the main track, the front edge of said platform being approximately the length of each car in the train, a plurality of railway tracks constituting sidings extend ing in parallel relation from themain track to the loading platform and making an anle with the loading platforms determined Ey the length of the cars to be run on the siding and thedistance between the centers of said sidings. K Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 18th day of January, 1929. r i GEORGE W. HEGEL. 

